GPS publication application server

ABSTRACT

A GPS publication application server. A mobile location knowledgeable device is in communication with a server. The server provides indications of the device&#39;s location to a home page associated with the device. The home page includes information about a user of the device and methods of contacting the user at any particular time. The server is also in communication with a variety of application servers. The application servers push information to the device depending on the device location and preferences listed in the home page of the device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 60/196,575, filed Apr. 11, 2000, thedisclosure of which is incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to user mobile informationsystems, and more specifically to location identifiable user mobilecommunication systems.

The use of mobile communication units, such as cellular telephones, isbecoming increasingly common. Cellular telephones, for example, allowindividuals to communicate with others when those individuals are awayfrom a base of operations, on the go, or at locations havinginsufficient or inconvenient land telephone lines. In addition,communication systems such as cellular telephones provide a simple andeasy way to communicate with individuals carrying cellular telephones nomatter where they are, so long as one knows the appropriate telephonenumber.

At times, however, knowledge of the location of an individual isimportant. For example, some communication methods, such as facsimile,generally are not mobile in nature. For example, often to send afacsimile one needs to know the location and number of a fixed faxmachine to which a fax may be sent. Similarly, it is often difficult tocourier packages to a person whose location is not known.

However, in many instances it is not feasible to contact an individual,even one who has a cellular telephone, and ask the individual theirlocation. The individual may not know their location or other particulardetails such as street address or facsimile number necessary to send theindividual items. Moreover, some individuals may jealously guard thenumber of their cellular telephone, so that in many instances it is notpossible to simply call a person on their cellular telephone todetermine their location. Further, in some instances people are unableto answer their cellular telephone to provide their location informationto those who know their telephone number.

Thus, the use of cellular telephones and generally mobile communicationsystems, provides for the increased transmission of information betweenindividuals, particularly those on the move. However, the communicationof information, particularly other than a voice information, is notfully utilized using such communication systems.

In addition, individuals on the move often have unique informationrequirements, particularly with respect to information concerning placesnear their location. Such needs are also not fully met by mobilecommunication systems, even though such information is generallyavailable on communication networks. For example, server computersreachable through the internet are commonly provide nearly boundlessinformation, with much of the information having geographical relevance.Such information is often largely unavailable to users of mobilecommunication systems, and moreover is not particularly adapted to suitthe needs of users of mobile communication systems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment of the present invention a GPS server periodicallyrequests information from a mobile device. The mobile device includesGPS receiver circuitry to receive GPS signals. The GPS receiver makesuse of information provided by a GPS reference server and errorcorrection processing performed by the GPS reference server to determineits location. Upon probing by the GPS server the mobile device providesthe GPS server the present position of the mobile device, as well asadditional information.

Techniques for communicating GPS related information to wirelessdevices, particularly information allowing a wireless communicationdevice to quickly obtain its location are known. In the presentinvention, certain user preferences are communicated to Internet coupledcomputer devices.

In this new system and method certain preferences are sent from awireless device to a GPS server and then forwarded on to a separateapplication server for storing in the users personal home page location,or user-specific storage space allows the user to populate their owndatabase and communicate certain information from that database to otherusers that were enabled to receive the populated information.

Work groups, community groups and other would be a recipient of thispopulated database system, thereby allowing dynamic data exchangebetween preidentified parties. Moreover, different users may havedifferent specific applications that take advantage of this populationtechnique.

Examples include advertising information provided to a user's deviceonce the user's travel pattern is established and personal preferencesare considered. Call ID system could be updated and other users would beable to communicate with the user upon receipt of their requests. Usingthis system the user may simply send visited locations as determined bythe GPS server to the users home page for storage and for populating auser's database. Acting on timely requests the GPS server modifies theuser's preferences upon probing the user for the GPS data and contactinformation.

At any time the user could contact the home page for review of storedinformation and to modify the status of users who subscribe to theuser's home page.

This new publishing and subscribing system puts increases storage andcalculation tasks on an application server to sort out and serve up tothe user upon a request. The PCD device uses less battery power and isnot required to perform task beyond its normal operations and changingthe user's preferences for the publishing system. The user may request acomplete review of their dynamic data upon contacting their own homepage. Caller ID systems thereafter route the request for contact to theuser's home page and then be given choices for going forward. The usercan deny any party access upon sending data along with the GPS probemade by the GPS server. This system does not require the user to makefurther contact when changing their preferences.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a block diagram of a system in accordance with aspects of thepresent invention.

FIG. 1 is a further block diagram of a system in accordance with aspectsof the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates an e-card in accordance with aspects of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of interconnections in accordancewith the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a further block diagram of interconnections in accordance withaspects of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a PCD.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1A illustrates a block diagram of a system in accordance withaspects of the present invention. An Internet service provider (ISP) 11is linked to a user personal computer 13 via telephone lines 15. Inactuality, one or more computer units may be interdisposed between thePC and the server, with the server being a node on the Internet. Theserver is also connected via communication link to a personal computerdevice 17. One embodiment of the personal computer device is illustratedin FIG. 5 The personal computer device may be a PCD of the typedisclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/879,955, now U.S. Pat.No. 6,148,261, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in itsentirety by reference.

The PCD includes a global positioning system (GPS) receiver.Accordingly, the PCD receives signals from GPS satellites 19. Thereceived signals allow the PCD to determine its latitude and longitude.

The PC, in one embodiment serves as a server. The server includes adatabase. The database includes information pertaining to a variety oftopics. More specifically, in one embodiment the database includesinformation relating to locations. That is, the database includesinformation regarding specific locations, as well as informationpertaining to transportation to and from these locations.

The information in the database is provided by businesses, individuals,and users of PCDs. Thus, the database contains general informationprovided by businesses, stores, and other commercial entities who wishto make information concerning their business available to others. Thedatabase also contains personalized information regarding points ofinterest and other matters provided by users of PCDs. The databasetherefore provides a source of information to the users of PCDs,particularly information regarding geographic locations.

FIG. 1 illustrates a further system of the present invention. A personalcommunication device (PCD) 11 provides GPS receiver and wirelesscommunication capability, particularly cellular telephone communicationcapability. The PCD may, in one embodiment, be such as disclosed in theaforementioned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/879,955, now U.S.Pat. No. 6,148,261. The PCD receives information from a wireless GPSserver 13 via cellular telephone communication link. The PCD alsoprovides the wireless GPS server information over the communicationlink, including information relating to the location of the PCD. In oneembodiment the PCD determines its location using, for example, its GPScapability. In another embodiment the PCD contains only a limited amountof GPS receiver processing circuitry. Instead, some of the GPSprocessing occurs at a wireless GPS server. The wireless GPS serverperforms, for example, functions such as determining satellites in viewof the PCD and the relative Doppler offsets of the satellites. This maybe accomplished, for example, using apparatus and methods discussed inU.S. Pat. No. 5,663,734 entitled “GPS Receiver and Method for ProcessingGPS Signals,” the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. Inone embodiment, error correction processing is also performed by thewireless GPS server, thereby further allowing reduced single processingon the part of the PCD.

Accordingly, in one embodiment the PCD provides a wireless GPS serverwith the present location and an identifying tag indicating the identityof the PCD. The GPS server provides the PCD location and identifier toan application server 15. The application server is provided theinformation from the GPS server via the Internet, or in some cases anintranet. The application server upon receipt of the PCD location andidentifying tag executes a program which updates a user-specific dataspace 17. In one embodiment, the user-specific space is located on thesame computer unit as the application server. In other embodiments, theuser-specific data space is stored in a separate computer system.

In one application the application server and the wireless GPS servercommunicate using a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) and the wirelessGPS server requests that application server execute a CGI script orprogram making use of the PCD identifier and the PCD location data.

Thereafter the user contacts the application server to obtaininformation stored in the user-specific storage area. In addition, otherindividuals may also contact the application server request of thelocation of the PCD device. This may be accomplished for example, inorder to determine how to contact the individual using the PCD.

In one embodiment the user-specific storage space includes informationfound on an electronic card (e-card). An example of information storedin the e-card is illustrated in FIG. 2. As illustrated in FIG. 2, thee-card includes a name, an address such as may be found on physicalbusiness cards. The e-card also includes communication information, suchas phone numbers for home, work, cell, pager, and PCD, and automobile.Further, the numbers include a web site location and an e-mail address.The card may also include attachments, which is particularly useful whena user is transmitting e-cards to another person. The e-cardadditionally contains credit card information. The credit cardinformation, along with a signature also available on the e-card, allowsthe e-card to be used as a payment transfer mechanism. Further, thee-card includes the current location of the individual associated withthe e-card.

In addition, the user-specific space is populated with informationuseful to the particular user. This may be done in the manner describedin U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/126,936 the disclosure of whichis incorporated by reference.

In operation, in one embodiment the GPS server periodically transmits arequest for, or probes, the location of a PCD. The PCD responds to theprobe by providing position information to the GPS server. The GPSserver provides the application server an indication of the PCD and anindication of the location of the PCD. The application server updatesthe user-specific space with the location of the PCD, or provides thelocation information to another computer system which performs theupdate.

The user of the PCD may also contact the application server, or othercomputer maintaining the PCD user-specific space, to review and modifydata in the user-specific space. The user may also provide varyinglevels of access to data in the user-specific space, or the e-card, toboth persons known and unknown to the user.

In one embodiment the GPS Server performs many of the functions of thesystem. Thus, in one embodiment the GPS Server performs probes of PCDsand receives preference updates from users, including contact phonenumbers for the user. The GPS server sends updated user information tothe application server which stores the information in the user-specificspace, which in one embodiment is similar to an individual home page,which may be commonly found on the internet. The user calls a numberassociated with the GPS server to modify or review status or makeadditional requests and changes with respect to the user-specific space,and subscribers and parties requesting location and contact informationon user are given information, which may vary by the requester. The usermakes the determination as to the access privileges provided requester,generally prior to their request.

The user of the user-specific space provides many benefits, including byproviding a location for information concerning the individual. Forexample, in some embodiments the user-specific space includes taggedmovie files, medical files, credit information attached to the contactcard. In further embodiments the information may include smart callerID, phone number calling ID, call forwarding techniques, Navigationinformation, navigation address books, navigation bookmarks, personaladdress books, contact manager software, schedule directors, e-mail, faxdocuments, voice mail are combined on the user's home page for easyaccess by the user/publisher. The user can arrange specific techniquesfor contacting him or his dynamic data from specific authorizedsubscribers.

The user-specific storage space therefore provides for storage andretrieval of e-cards. In addition, the space stores complete navigationinformation, maps, address books, persona files, navigation bookmarks,advertising bookmarks, smart contact bookmarks all GPS tagged, as wellas providing Smart Contact manager, caller ID, Phone ID, callforwarding, call screening, e-mail system, Mail, Voice mail, dynamicdata collection system from GPS server, advertising searching and smartbookmarking, and user schedule manager functions.

E-cards provide electronic card file of the user's personal informationand attached movie files, complete attachment system from voice, data,fax e-911 medical, personal, and vehicle data system establishes contactand screening system for subscribers. A user updates the e_card, as wellas other information on the space on occasion when contacted by GPSserver.

FIG. 3 illustrates a communication flow block diagram between variouscomponents of systems in accordance with the present invention. Theembodiment in FIG. 3 includes a subscriber server and a GPS server. Thesubscriber server and GPS server are in communication with various webservers over the Internet, as well as with mobile devices. Asillustrated, the mobile devices include a cell phone, a PCD, and anautomobile phone. Together, the subscriber server, GPS server, and themobile devices comprise a mobile service system. The PCD and theautomobile telephone system are both coupled to user-specific storageareas which provide additional information.

The GPS server and subscriber server are also coupled to numerous webservers over the Internet. For example, the subscriber server is coupledto a mobile support software system. The mobile support software systemprovides application information and programs to the mobile devices byway of the subscriber server as necessary.

The subscriber server is also coupled to a web server containingnumerous user-specific storage spaces. The web server is also coupled toan additional application server containing numerous applications foruse in configuring user information. The web server, and theuser-specific storage space is also coupled to public users over theInternet. Public users may, for example, interrogate the user-specificspace to determine the user's location or other information regardingthe user. As discussed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/126,936,the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference, security levelsmay be implemented so as to restrict the number of people who can accessvarious information about the individual. The general public, andspecifically business PC users, may also desire to provide informationto the users of for example, PCDs or others moving in location.Accordingly, the general public may provide information to a fieldedinformation web server. The fielded information web server makeslocation-specific information available to the GPS server, and thus themobile users. This allows the mobile users for example, to interrogatethe fielded information web server to determine the location of nearbyplaces of business in which they may have an interest. This interest maybe because they intended to visit the business, are due to a suddenchange in circumstance which makes the mobile user desirous of visitingthe business.

FIG. 4 further illustrates communication and function flow for a PCD. Asillustrated, the PCD is in communication with an automobile user and thePCD is also in communication with the subscriber server. Communicationwith the subscriber server allows the PCD to obtain informationregarding businesses, for example.

In accordance with aspects the present invention, the central computersystem also maintains information in a database allowing individualusers to be easily located both physically and in terms of theirelectronic communication locations. The central computer systemmaintains a database of individuals and an Internet address linked toeach individual. The Internet address linked to each individual need notbe a unique address, but instead many individuals may make use of asingle computer indicated by the Internet address in the Internetaddress field. For example, for many cases the central computer systemmay be the computer system identified by the Internet address.

The system also contains a large number of computer systems linked bythe Internet, and which are the computer systems pointed to by theaddress field for the individuals in the Internet address field. Each ofthese computers form a home site computer system. The responsibility ofmaintaining the home site computer systems are the responsibility of theindividuals.

The home site computer system maintains electronic contact informationand geographic location of the individual. The electronic contactinformation includes home telephone numbers, office telephone numbers,cellular telephone numbers, fax numbers, and e-mail addresses. Thegeographic location is provided in terms of latitude and longitude,although street addresses or site names can also be provided with thelatitude and longitude.

Also linked to each electronic communication identifier in geographiclocation information is a security level index. In one embodiment, thesecurity level index is a number between one and ten. The individualassigns security level indexes for each item of information. The useralso identifies other individuals who may wish to contact the user, andindicates which security index level each such other individual shouldbe provided. Other individuals who are not identified by the user areprovided a default security level index. When the home site is contactedby another individual, the other individual provides an identifier, suchas the individual's name to the home site. In one embodiment the otherindividual also provides a password to the home site so that the homesite may authenticate the identity of the individual. Based on theidentity of the individual, preferably authenticated, the home sitedetermines the other individual's security level index.

The other individual is thereafter only able to obtain information forthe other individual's security level index value and those values belowthe other individual's security level index. For example, a user'sgeneral office work number may be assigned a security level index often, with the user's direct line phone number provided a security levelindex of six. A first other individual with a security index level ofseven can only obtain the user's general office number while a secondother individual with a security index level of six can also obtain theuser's direct line phone number.

The user's geographic location is updated through the PCD. As previouslydiscussed, the PCD can be used to provide e-mails indicative of theuser's location in varying manners. When the user's home site computersystem is identified as an e-mail address for such updates, the user'shome site computer system may track the user over time. In oneembodiment of the invention, the user's home site computer system isalways provided a copy of any e-mail position updates provided by thePCD.

The present invention therefore provides a location-centric informationsystem. Although the invention has been described with respect tocertain specific embodiments, it should be appreciated that theinvention may be practiced other than as specifically described.

1. A method of providing contact information regarding a user, themethod comprising: allocating a user-specific space in memory accessibleover a computer network to a specific user; associating a mobilecommunication device with the user; determining a geographic location ofthe user by receiving location information provided by a mobilecommunication device; storing data indicative of the location of theuser in the user-specific space; receiving, from the user, additionaldata regarding the user, the additional data being related to thegeographic location of the user; storing the additional data regardingthe user in the user-specific space; receiving from the user an accesslist of possible requesters of the data and the additional data; storingthe access list of possible requesters of the data and the additionaldata in the user-specific space; and providing the data indicative ofthe location of the user and the additional data regarding the user topossible requesters on the access list.
 2. A location relevant serversystem comprising: a personal communication device (PCD) comprising aGPS receiver and wireless communication capability; a GPS serverreceiving information indicating a geographic location and a uniqueidentifier associated with the PCD, the GPS server providing the PCDlocation and the unique identifier associated with the PCD to anapplication server; the application server configured to execute aprogram upon receiving the geographic location and the unique identifierinformation associated with the PCD to update a user specific data spacewith a current geographic location and the unique identifier associatedwith the PCD, the application server further configured to allowdifferent users different access to the application sever based on theidentity of a user; wherein the application server is further configuredto store information received from and concerning an individualassociated with the PCD in the user specific data space, the storedinformation in the user specific data space including an access list ofpossible requesters of information concerning the individual associatedwith the PCD, the access list being received from the individualassociated with the PCD; and wherein the information stored in the userspecific data space includes additional information related to thegeographic location of the individual associated with the PCD.
 3. Thesystem according to claim 2 wherein the application server is furtherconfigured to provide the information concerning the individual to arequester.
 4. The system according to claim 3 wherein the applicationserver is further configured to modify data in the user specific dataspace.
 5. The system according to claim 4 wherein the data in the userspecific data space includes contact information regarding theindividual.
 6. The system according to claim 5 wherein the contactinformation regarding the individual includes, phone, fax, and e-mailinformation.
 7. The system according to claim 4 wherein the applicationserver is configured to provide different information concerning theindividual to different requesters.
 8. The system according to claim 2wherein the GPS server is further configured to send PCD locations andidentifiers to the application server.
 9. The system according to claim8 wherein the user specific data space stores contact informationregarding a user associated with the PCD.
 10. The system according toclaim 9 wherein the contact information regarding the individualincludes, phone, fax, and e-mail information.
 11. A method of providingcontact information regarding a user, the method comprising: allocatinga user-specific space in memory accessible over a computer network to auser; associating a mobile communication device with the user; receivinga plurality of user contact information from the user, each user contactinformation associated with a location of the user; storing theplurality of user contact information in the user-specific space;receiving a request from a requestor of information for user contactinformation; determining a current location of the user by receivingcurrent location information provided by a mobile communication device;determining the user contact information associated with the currentlocation of the user; and providing the user contact informationassociated with the current location of the user to the requestor ofinformation.
 12. The method according to claim 11 further comprising:receiving from the user an access list of possible requesters ofinformation; storing the access list in the user-specific space;determining whether a requestor of information is on the access listupon receiving a request from the requestor of information for usercontact information; and providing the user contact informationassociated with the current location of the user if the requestor ofinformation is on the access list.